Asteroid City (2023)

Asteroid City is a play within a movie about a grieving father and the random people he comes across while being in Asteroid City.

Written and directed by Wes Anderson, who I've grown to appreciate more in my later years. I thought his first movies were pretentious until someone showed me the meticulousness of his films. It is very prevalent throughout the film that every detail was intentional and the pacing of the film is something to be dissected.

Jason Schwartzman plays a different character than I expected him to play after watching the trailer. He was very grounded and the humor was situational rather than wordplay like in his previous Anderson showings like Rushmore and Moonrise Kingdom.

Scarlett Johansson plays up her acting abilities to play a 1950s actress who has to deal with the climate of the era. She is flawed and knows it, and uses it to her advantage. She hasn't been this good since Lost in Translation.

Maya Hawke is in this film. You might know her from Stranger Things as Robin. She's great in the film and makes me totally forget she's just acting. Perhaps it's because of who her parents are. I look forward to seeing her in the upcoming movie called The Kill Room.

There is so much to unpack with this film it's hard for me to give it a grade. I saw it on Thursday but left some time to gestate in my head where it would lie. I think it's a better film than The Super Mario Bros. Movie for obvious reasons, but I think I enjoyed it less. I'm still going to place it above it though because of how great the film is. Result: A.

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Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie (2026)

Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie is another cookie-cutter entry in the Paw Patrol franchise, so there isn't much to say about the story itself. This time, the focus is on Marshall, the team's resident firefighter, or perhaps "firedog" in this case. The movie is wholesome and delivers exactly what you'd expect from a Paw Patrol film, even if it doesn't do much to distinguish itself from the previous entries. Mckenna Grace voices Skye, although you would never know it from the performance. Her voice is so normal for the character that Grace's usual presence is virtually unrecognizable. Terry Crews , on the other hand, voices Alistair Stonewall, and you can definitely tell it's him. His recognizable voice and personality come through clearly and make the character more memorable. Snoop Dogg also makes a fun cameo as Dave, the owner of a yacht who enjoys fishing. It's a small role, but his recognizable voice and personality make it a welcome surprise. T...

Sleepwalker (2026)

Sleepwalker is a horror thriller written and directed by Brandon Auman , who quickly reminds us why his career has primarily been in television rather than feature films. Writing for children's television can sometimes get away with simplistic dialogue and storytelling, but those weaknesses become glaring when stretched into a feature-length horror movie. The screenplay is filled with clunky dialogue and predictable horror beats, while the jump scares rarely land. Instead of creating tension, the film repeatedly left me sighing in boredom. Hayden Panettiere delivers a strong performance despite the material she's been given. It's clear that many of her lines weren't written with much care, but she does what she can to make the character feel believable. Knowing this is her final film makes the performance bittersweet, especially because she deserved a much better script to go out on. Fortunately, her performance here doesn't diminish the work she's done in bet...

The End of Oak Street (2026)

The End of Oak Street starts with Anne Hathaway immediately establishing herself as the film's strongest performer, especially when compared to the wooden performance from Ewan McGregor . The premise of a writer struggling with an unsupportive spouse hits close to home for me. The split-focus direction from David Robert Mitchell isn't particularly new or uniquely executed. Instead, it often feels disorienting without accomplishing what I assume was the intention. Mitchell also struggles with the screenplay, as the dialogue can be atrocious at times and boring the rest of the time. This isn't his first failed attempt at writing interesting characters, which makes it understandable why he hasn't written or directed anything in eight years. Anne Hathaway is easily the best part of the film. She brings enough personality and emotional weight to keep the movie watchable despite the material surrounding her. Unfortunately, even Hathaway can't carry the entire film. Ew...

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